The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1887-03-19
SYSTEMATIC CHARITY.
Some Remarks on Philanthropy by Prof.
Richard I. Ely.

Richard L. Ely.
From m, baltimore san.
At the request "t the Charity Organi-
ttioh Society. several gentlemen have
administration at charity III various
c untries tor tn. .S,n ami | have been
asked to contribute an Introductory
paper. This am glad 10 do because |
believe that the question of charity is
one which nerds thorough discussion at
the present time II Is scarcely necessary
to say that no subject can we'll b, more
important As unwise administration Of
charity tends to pauperize the masses
aud te 1mpoverish the nation; wisely
given relief, on the contrary. will rapidly
diminish pauperism and will cure large
numbers of this horn ble and loathsome
di tease
have decided to write down few
thoughts on the general subject OF phil
anthropy. which includes charity AS ordi-
narily understood as IA subdivision. There
are several thInSs that ought to be very
clear to those who desire TO give practical
manifestation to their love for ;hsir tel
low-men. FIRST and foremost is some
kind of an idea OF what eau be nationally
contemplated as possible future for the
masses. There should be diligent inquiry
as to the means which may be used to
assist the masses to attain this highest
economic. intellectual and ethical eleva-
ton. From neglect of the first considera-
philanthropists have frequently endeav-
ored to encourage people To reach an I'M
attaina Die ideal From failure to re-
fleet with care on ways and means they
have unfortunately at times injured those
whom they longed to serve.
Our ideal is expressed in .ae tireU mes
sage of Abraham Lincoln to Congress,
in these words:
There is not of cessity any such
thing as the free hired laborer being
fixed to that condition for life. MANY
independent men everywhere in these
States few years back IN their lives
were hired laborers. The prudent, penni-
less beginner i'll the world labors for
wages awhile, saves surplus with which
to buy tools or l,ud Tor himself, then la
bors on his own accounts another while,
and at length hires another new begin
uer to help him
Another ideal for the vast majority is
expressed by Charles Kingsley in these
words
Il do not think the cry get on to be
anything but d devils cry. the m ,ral
of my book (Alton Loche) is that the
"oi kibgman who Il les toSet on to desert
his class and rise above it enters into
lie. aud leaves Gods path for his own
with consequences.
Second | believe that man might
be as tailor or cosJerluonger every
inch of HIM saint and scholar and q
gentlemen, for | have seen some few such
already. | believe hundreds OF thousands
would be SO If their business were put on
a Cnrlstliu footing, and themselves given
oy education, sanitary reform, nc, the
means OF developing their own latent
capabilities. | think the cry rise in lite
has been excited by the very Increasing
lmposslbility of being anything but
oruteS hlle they struggle bt low | be
IIere from Experience that when you put
workiaen into human dwelling and give
them "A Christian education, So far from
.shng diScUutentedly to rise out OF
The II class III to level others TO it, exactly
the opposite takes place. They become
seusibte OF the dlghIty OF work, and they
b"glu To see their labor as true calling
IN Cad : clutch, now that it is cleared
from the accidental which made it look
IN their eyes only a soullesS drudgery IN
4 devils woI kship of world
Which is the correct ideal-that OF
Kingsley? Both are some hat extreme,
but there can be no doubt that Kingsley
showed far better C, apprehension OF
the nature OF industrial society than did
the great American statesmen. Only
few can Use to positions OF
emlnence. because eminence means the
existence of mass lower dowu-a ma
Jority not eminent. 1t Is relative con-
ceptlon. Can every tree in forest be
= WI 'ii"h on oohCi tiCCs. uSl 81 dD-
surd is to expect every one to attain
wealth or prominence in professional or
literary pursuits. Every railway presi-
dent necessities the existence of several
Thousand wage receivers; every bank
president presupposes clerks, book keep
ers and others i'll a subordinate position;
every merchant OF wealth requires nu-
merous salarled employees By no human
possibility can this be otherwise 1t Is
no more impossible that two and two
shoIld make tive than it is that the MANY
should rise i'll the ordinary sense of that
word. 1t is not the fault of employers,
nor is it due To the thriitlessuess OF en-
ployes. 1t lies in the nature of things.
II you tell single concrete workingman
on The Baltimore and Ohio railroad that
he may yet be president of the company
it is not denonstrable that you have told
INN what Is not true, although 1t is
within bounds to say that he is far more
likely to be killed by a stroke of light
ming; but it can be mathematlcally proved
that by no amount OF diligence, thrift
and Intelligence can one out of a thous
and employees attain that position The
number of those high places is neces-
sarily very limited in proportion to the
entire population. This thought is ex-
pressed i'll different words by celebrated
American divine, the late Dr. William
EIlery Charming. He says in the recently
published Selections from his note book
Only a few of the laboring class can
rise, for it is by them that any one rises"
1t is OF the utmost Importance that
this Truth should be fully grasped by al!
who would assist society. With indus
try organized as it is now, it is neces
sity that the ordinary free hired laborer
should be fixed to that condition for life.
More than this is true. The number of
those who can rise to the top of indus
tIial society relatively dlminishes because
production is carried on on an usreas-
ingly large scale When the average
number OF men in each manufacturing
establishment is four one out of four
can be at its head; if the average mum
Der is ten, only ole out OF ten can occupy